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In the early years of education parents could decide whether they wished their children to be educated at home or at a school. The church and civic leaders decided that education could no longer remain voluntary, they saw that many children were getting inadequate occupational training, and they realized that organized schools would serve to strengthen and preserve Puritan religious beliefs. The Puritans decided to make education the responsibility of the state. Which led to the creation of the Massachusetts Act of 1642, it required each town to determine whether young people could read or write. Later the Massachusetts Act of 1647 was created, it mandated the establishment and support of schools.

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Schools for African Americans and Native Americans

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Schools for African Americans and Native Americans

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One of the first schools for African Americans and Native Americans was started by Elias Neau in New York City in 1704.  Elias Neau spoke out against slavery and the extreme lack of education for the children of slaves, he asked the church to appoint a teacher for these children and the church appointed him their teacher because he was so moved by his faith to help these children. Elias taught the children how to read for the church.

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Latin Grammar School Logo on a building.

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The Latin Grammar Schools are comparable to today's Secondary Schools, and is based off of the classical schools of Europe. Boys are enrolled into the school at ages 7 or 8, where they began to prepare for entrance into Harvard College (Established in 1636). They studied for about 4 years. Then after graduation they would take up a leadership role in the church. Latin and Greek were the main focus of studies in this school, arithmetic was later added in 1745. Students had to read Latin authors and also speak Latin and some Greek as well. It was a very rigorous school with long days. There was punishment for not listening or lying and even for playing cards.

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The New England Primer

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Reading and writing schools are schools where boys received an education that went further than their parents or any dame school could teach them. Their reading lessons were based on the bible, and other religious catechisms. They also learned from the New England Primer, written in 1690. It taught children letters of the alphabet through the means of illustrative woodcuts and rhymed couplets like "In Adam's fall, we sinned all." The Primer also showed children a lot of stern religious warnings about proper life conduct.

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These schools were usually taught in the kitchens of widows or housewives and supported by the modest fees from parents. The students here were taught only the essentials of reading writing and mathematics for what could have been anywhere from a couple weeks to a year. They used a book called a horn book (pictured below) containing the alphabet which students would often be found carrying around their necks.

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In the New England colonies which included Massachusetts Bay New Hampshire and Connecticut; church, state, and school were agreeably interrelated. Schools here were heavily influenced by the Puritans; a group of Protestants who believed in strict religious discipline. They believed people were naturally simple and child's play was described as devil - inspired idleness. The book states that one historian said children were looked at as miniature horrible human beings. The discipline was strict and any rule breaking was met with severe penalty by less than qualified teachers.

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The level of respect for teachers was extremely low because it was possible to teach with minimal qualifications. However respect increase as well as the necessary education level with the grade level being taught. Elementary teachers mostly had only an elementary education themselves, and they received the least amount of respect. Colonial teachers were considered "special but shadowed". Teachers and clergy members were educated, making them special, and in being so they were expected to have high moral character. The elite power was clergy members while teachers were subordinate causing the need for them to be shadowed. Those who wanted to teach how to accept stern inspection of their moral behavior. Also while male teachers were preferred, women were recruited during the summer farming months.

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Stressed religious teaching objectives. There was not a distinction between secular and religious life. The primary objective of elementary school in was to learn to read the Bible so hopefully that educated would read the Bible and religious verbal teachings and be saved.

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Teaching and Schools in the American Colonies (1620-1750)

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Teaching and Schools in the American Colonies (1620-1750)

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American settlers tried to develop a two-track system that paralleled Brittan. Lower classes attended school for the purpose of acquiring practical skills while upper classes had the opportunity to attend Latin grammar schools and given a college prep education.